Lamine Yamal has already established himself as one of Barcelona and Spain’s most important players, and the teenage superstar is now backing another young talent to make his own mark at the club.
As such, Yamal has spoken highly of Hamza Abdelkarim, the Egyptian striker who joined the Blaugrana setup earlier this year and has already offered glimpses of his goalscoring ability.
The youngster impressed during pre-season, and Yamal believes there is enough talent in his game to develop into a major player at Camp Nou.
Speaking to On Sport (h/t SPORT), Yamal was particularly clear about what he expects from the young forward, stressing that Barcelona must give Abdelkarim the time and support required to adjust to a completely new footballing environment.
Yamal sees a big future for Hamza Abdelkarim
Yamal’s assessment of Abdelkarim is not solely based on the goals the striker has scored.
The Barcelona star believes the Egyptian possesses the qualities required to develop into a top-level centre-forward and feels his time with the Catalan club can accelerate that progress.
“He’s a player with a brilliant future ahead of him. He’s still young and has all the qualities to become a great striker. I think he’ll make the most of his time at the club and score plenty of goals,” he began saying.
The Egyptian’s goalscoring instincts have already caught attention, but adapting to Barcelona’s style will be another challenge.
Yamal believes Abdelkarim has the flexibility required to fit into the team’s football.
Lamine Yamal has backed Hamza Abdelkarim to achieve greatness with the national team. (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
“We’ve all seen it; he’s a striker who scores plenty of goals. He’ll benefit from his time at Barcelona.
“He’s a very adaptable player. We’re a great team. We always try to make him feel at home.”
Yamal’s message to Barcelona’s Egyptian striker
The biggest piece of advice from Yamal was that Abdelkarim should not rush his development.
The winger understands the pressure that comes with arriving at Barcelona at a young age.
So, rather than expecting the striker to immediately justify the attention surrounding him, Yamal wants him to concentrate on adapting and taking opportunities as they come.
“He needs to stay calm and confident when he plays. The most important thing is that he stays calm and focused, and he’ll have plenty of time. No one will ask anything of him, nor will anyone blame him for anything.
“He’ll need time to settle in, and that’s normal. We’ve all been through this. He’s coming from a different league and a different country. He just needs to stay calm and composed.
“We all know how good he is and that he’s a prolific goalscorer. Everything will fall into place in due course. So my advice to him is to stay calm and focused. He’ll become an excellent player.”
Hamza Abdelkarim could carry Egyptian football’s hopes
Furthermore, Yamal went as far as comparing Abdelkarim’s potential impact to what Mohamed Salah has achieved for Egyptian football.
Lamine Yamal has nothing but praise for Hamza Abdelkarim. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
“Salah is a truly great and important player, and he’s one of the best African players in the English Premier League.
“Hamza is a player who has the skills and ability to achieve that, and I hope he becomes a football legend in Egypt.”
It is a huge compliment for a young player, particularly coming from someone who is already operating at the highest level despite his age.
Yamal discusses Ballon d’Or
Yamal also addressed the Ballon d’Or race and the significance of African players receiving recognition among the world’s elite.
While the Barcelona star acknowledged that individual ambition matters, he stressed that talent should remain the main consideration rather than nationality.
“It’s certainly a possibility. We all play to win, whether it’s as a team or individually, such as the Ballon d’Or.
“I think it’s a source of pride for all of us, the players from African countries; we feel proud when we see African players on the podium or on the shortlist.
“I hope there will be more and more of them, but I believe that what matters is not nationality, but talent. In any case, I hope there will be many African nominees and that we can all take pride in that,” he concluded.
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